Homemade Whey Ricotta

I'm a fairly simple gal. I don't wear makeup at home, only shave my legs when we're expecting more than 3 days of sunshine, and consider lavender goat's milk soap to be the equivalent of a large bottle of Dior perfume.

Honestly, anything with the word "fume" in it is lost on me.

I also enjoy finding multiple ways to use something up before tossing it into the recyclable bin, Goodwill box, compost pile, or pig trough.

With all of the cheesemaking I've been doing lately, I'm finding that the whey tends to add up. Especially if I make a 2 lb. batch of cheese on a daily basis.

Ya. We like cheese.

After doing a quick Google search on ricotta, I found a recipe using just the whey. Whey is the liquid that is left after all the milk solids are used to form the curds. At least, I thought they were all used up.

Looking into the pot, I couldn't see how anything else could be extracted from the liquid. Sure, there were little white particles floating on top, but they were few and far between, and according to the recipe, for every 2 gallons of whey used, I should expect 2-3 cups of ricotta.

Well, if you know me at all, I like a good challenge. Even if my ricotta adventure ended up being an epic fail, I would have the satisfaction of knowing that I doubted this little endeavor to begin with. And for a simple gal like me, that can be good enough.

Occasionally though, I like to be proven wrong. ☺

Here's what you'll need:

2 gallons leftover whey from making mozzarella
a large pot that has several inches of space at the top once the whey is added
long-handled slotted spoon (I use a skimmer.)
2 thin 100% (non-terry) cotton towels, or several layers of cheesecloth
colander
thermometer

Set a colander in a large pot and line the colander with 1 towel. Strain your fresh whey through the towel to remove any bits and pieces that may be in the liquid. Remove colander/towel and place a lid on the pot. Set the pot on the back of the stove and leave it for 12-24 hours to culture.

The next day, remove the lid and place the pot on medium heat. Bring the temperature up to 208 degrees, stirring occasionally to keep the solids from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (Trust me, those solids are in there, even if you can't see them!)

Be careful when taking the temperature, the steam is very hot! See how the yellow-ish liquid has turned white and foamy? This is what you want.

Give the whey another good stir, remove from heat and replace the lid. And wait. For me, this is the toughest part.

I'm simple, not patient.

When the liquid is cool enough to handle, line your colander with towel #2 and set inside another large pot. Gently scoop out the solids. I scoop as much as possible, then gently pour the rest through the towel/colander.

Once most of the liquid has drained from the solids, gather the corners of your towel and tie with a rubberband. Hang the cheese to drain until the bag no longer drips, approximately 1 hour. Don't worry if your ricotta drains longer; if it's too dry, you can add a little milk or cream until it reaches a consistency that you like.

I use a muslin bag for hanging the ricotta.

Don't worry about getting fancy with the hanging, just make sure that there's a pot beneath to catch the drips. Trust me.

My fancy method of hanging cheese works great, unless I need cinnamon out of the spice cabinet.☺

One the cheese is drained, scrape it out of the towel and place in a covered glass bowl. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Use your ricotta in pasta dishes, as a base for dips or salad dressings, or on pancakes with a little homemade jam. Yum!

And if you have have chickens or pigs, they'll appreciate the leftover-leftover whey.

Our newest pigs~The Haminator, Porkticus, and Swineheart

Probably more than the homecoming "gifts" of free bagels and doughnuts.

I think the "boys" and I are going to get along just fine, don't you?

You Should Know #7...The "Romance" of Milking

 

It's been almost 6 months since our Jersey cow Tilly, gave birth to Maggie Moo. It's been exactly 5-1/2 months since we started milking Tilly. And it's been about the same amount of time that I've been pondering what to do with all that milk.

 

Will work for molasses-covered oats.  Moo.

 

 I'll have you know, I am still clueless.

 

See, there are only so many things one can do with fresh cow's milk. Oh, there are blogs out there that will tell us that you can make, bake, cook, can, knead, dehydrate, rehydrate, soak, scrub, and bathe in it, but I've found that they are only telling you that so you'll try it first. And then maybe, just maybe, you'll let them know whether it works or not.

 

Here's what you should know about the romantic side of milking...

 

1. A cow has mood swings, much like a human woman. Any attempt to touch any part of her anatomy during this time could result in a swift kick to the kneecap. Or the face if you're dumb enough to have it under the cow. Or, so I've heard... She can also hold on to her milk if the mood so strikes her. It's best to come prepared. A triple-shot grande Caramel Macchiatto scoop of sweet grain ought to do. 

 

2. If you only bring 2 empty gallon jars up to the barn, chances are, the cow will give you exactly 3.33 gallons of milk that day. Which results in someone carrying down a 40 lb. milking machine from the barn, in the rain, on an empty stomach, with only 1 cup of coffee under her belt yoga pants. And because of her weakened condition, she'll probably forget the filter up at the barn after she's made the trek back down to the house.

 

3. 3 gallons of milk/day x 7 days/week  = a million or so gallons of milk in the fridge. I mean fridges. As in 4 of them. Ratchet straps and bungee cords are a farmer's friend. Because there's always a way to squeeze just one more gallon into an already full refrigerator.

 

4. One can never have too much Mozzarella. Until the last little spot in the freezer is full anyway. Then one comes up with tricky little ways to incorporate the excess cheese into a meal. Or dessert. Mozzarella Ice Cream anyone?

 

 

5. Ambitious husbands who get sick of Mozzarella, are quite adept at building cheese presses. Nothing says, "hint, hint" like a 50 lb. press. Complete with a bathroom scale. Hey, it works, and I've quit obsessing over my weight. I call that a "win, win."

 

6. Just because you now have a cheese press, doesn't mean that your first, second, or third attempt at making cheese will work. The good news with that is that you can now remove the ratchet strap from one of the refrigerators. The bad news is that you've crushed the entire family's dreams of having anything that's not Mozzarella.

 

7. When you have a catastrophic cheese-making experience, you will always revert back to what you know. Mozzarella. Because your self-esteem needs a little bit of a boost. And the family knows this, so they pretend to be pleased that you've found a way to use Mozzie in a cake.

 

8. Sometimes, the cheese making actually turns into something good. Like Farmer's Cheddar.

 

 

But then you read the fine print under the recipe; Farmer's Cheddar has to age.

 

For 30 days.

 

And for 30 days you worry that it will be rotten, sour, or positively inedible. 

 

So, you make another batch of Mozzarella, because you can.

 

9. In order to age the Farmer's Cheddar, it has to be painted with wax. This appeals to my artistic side. I feel like I can sculpt a masterpiece that rivals Michelangelo.

 

 

Well, maybe Donatello. Or Raphael. Or Leonardo. In a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sort of way.

 

10. 2 gallons of milk = 2 pounds of cheese. It also equals about 20 gallons 1.95 gallons of leftover whey. Now, leftover whey is great for growing piggies into pork chops, but what to do with all that whey once the piggies have moved to the freezer?

 

 

Hmmmm...how 'bout some homemade whey ricotta?

 

Stay tuned....☺







Still alive...

You remember that moment in the late fall when you realize that life is about to finally slow down? You know~after the canning, garden clean-up, butchering, winterizing, back-to-school planning, etc...

I remember it too.

Only, the slow-down didn't happen here.

Still busy, just a different kind of busy. Here's some of what we've been up to...

Bailey guarding the feed room door.

We said goodbye to our beloved behemoth, Bailey. At 14-1/2 years old, arthritis had set in and  crippled her. She was ready, even if we were not. The hardest decision was whether to let her die of natural causes and bury her, or to call the butcher truck and end her suffering.

We chose the latter. Somehow, it seemed less wasteful. Hopefully by the time our hamburger is ready, we'll be ready.

For now though, we're eating a lot of vegetarian meals.☺

"Hey Porky, you've got a smear of jelly behind your ear!" Pigs.

Porky left for freezer camp too. The largest of our three pigs, he weighed in right at 300 lbs. His siblings were about 50 lbs. behind him, so they're hanging out a little longer.

Porky was a real pig.

We'll give up our vegetarian ways when the bacon is ready.☺

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company~LOVE.

My seed order finally arrived. All 66 packets of seeds. I've always said that I'm an addiction just waiting to happen.

Hi. My name's Kim and I'm a seed catalogue-aholic.

Hmm...I thought that would purge my guilt. But alas, I have none. Not whatsoever.

Shameless. Is it Spring yet?

12 feet of laminated ugliness.

I've been spending a lot of time with the new "man" in my life. His name is Mr. Orbital Sander. I love him. He allows me to take ugly furniture like the table above, and turn it into something less ugly.

Sand, primer, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, seal.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the table color is ivory painted over barn red, then sanded. I'm not sure it will stay this color, but for now, I'm diggin' it.

I'm currently eye-balling some ugly laminate cabinets...

...in the dining room, utility, family room, and all 4 bathrooms.

My Mister got scared, so he booked us vacation tickets to Cancun.

Like a trip to a tropical paradise will distract me from Mr. Orbital Sander.

Pshhh...Men.☺

January Meal Plan





Now that it's a new year, I've decided to start planning meals again. Not that I wasn't before, I just lacked the "follow through."

It's all about the follow through.

Even though I had the best of intentions, my lack of motivation kept me from doing the important things like, thawing the meat, soaking the beans, buying the groceries, etc...More often than not, I found myself pulling out the omelet pan and scrambling up some eggs.

Omelette's were even too ambitious because they require thought, and my only thought was "git er done." Hence, the scrambling. Not exactly the meals that dreams are made of.

When planning for a month of meals, I start by shopping in the pantry/freezer first. Then I list the meals that my family likes, that are time-convenient, or are meals that use whatever I have an abundance of. After that list is finished, I divide them into weekly plans and write them on a weekly planner. (This planner is much classier than my old stand-by...the spiral notebook.) On the back of each weekly planner, I write my grocery list. I've found that it's important to take both my meal plan and my grocery list together, because I almost always forget to add something.

I say almost always because it makes me feel more competent than I really am. ☺

Our monthly budget for groceries varies, but we try to keep it around $150.00/week. Every 3 months, we make a Costco and Bob's Redmill run to restock basics such as; sugar, dried beans, rice, spices, and gluten-free staples.

And it ensures that the Mister and I have at least 1 day every 3 months without kids.

It's the little things, really.

Here's what's cookin' this month~

~Week 1~

Crockpot Chinese Pepper Steak, brown rice

baked chicken, Mac & Cheese, roasted broccoli/cauliflower

Red Coconut Curry Lentil Soup, gf Naan Bread

White Chicken Chili (new), gf Cornbread

Parmesan-crusted Tilapia, brown rice/butter, green salad

Homemade gf Pizza

Leftovers

~Week 2~

Sweet Potato Patties, Baked Salmon, green salad

Lentil Burritos, Guacamole, tortilla chips

Crockpot Mongolian Beef, brown rice, salad

Thai Butternut Curry Soup, Bob's Redmill GF Hearty Whole Grain Bread

Cincinnati Chili

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken, jasmine rice

Leftovers

~Week 3~

Chicken Tortilla Soup, gf Cornbread

Pot roast, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, veggie (to be determined)

Coconut Kelp Soup with Chicken

Venison Stroganoff, jasmine rice

Chickpea Fritters, Chicken Caesar Salad

GF Beef Empanadas (new)

Salmon Patties, brown rice w/butter, green beans

~Week 4~

Chili, gf Cornbread

baked potatoes, cube steak, salad

Spicy Thai Noodles (with brown rice noodles)

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Mexi-Mac, sweet corn

Salsa Chicken, brown rice, salad

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Breakfasts: Soaked Oatmeal, brown rice farina, eggs, raw milk kefir smoothies, muffins, Cinnamon Spiced Granola

Lunches: Leftovers, nachos, egg salad or tuna sandwiches (on home-baked bread)

Since I've only planned 28 of the 31 days of January, that leaves room for date nights out, or date nights in...

Hey, it could happen. ☺

This post is linked to Menu Mondays at I'm an Organizing Junkie.



Gluten Free "Neiman Markus" Cookies

Okay. So, I'm about to share with you just how far removed from civilization I've been. I have a cookie recipe, apparently from someone named Neiman Marcus, and until today, I had no idea who or what that was.

*Gasp*

Neiman Marcus is a store that carries designer labels. I googled them. They carry clothes that are usually only seen on runway models. Clothes that normal women roll their eyes at and wonder, "Did she not notice her striped shirt and checkered pants do not go with that paisley jacket?" And that those hideous make-your-eyes-cross patterns sell for $1,000 a piece? And we (I'm inserting myself here) normal women notice that these same models look like they've never eaten a cookie a day in their lives? And then, some clueless woman who thinks Google is a Godsend, finds that not only does Neiman Marcus carry make-you-dizzy outfits, but the store also sells cookies!?!

Be still my heart. Finally. A store that caters to the blind and the hungry. Now, that's a place I can get behind.

Just as long as I don't have to wear paisley with my striped wool socks. ☺

Gluten-free "Neiman Marcus" Chocolate Chip Cookies

 



 

~The Players~

 

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

6 Tb. granulated sugar

2 eggs

4 t. pure vanilla extract

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. sea salt

3-1/2 cups gluten-free cookie flour blend (*see below)

1-1/2 t. xanthan gum

1 Tb. instant espresso powder

2 cups chocolate chips

 



In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.

 



 

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

 

 

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, flour, xanthan gum, and the espresso powder. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined.

 

 

Stir in the chocolate chips.

 

 

Drop by large spoonfuls (or cookie scoop) onto parchment lined cookie sheets.

 

 

Bake @ 375F. for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before moving to cooling rack.

 

~GF Cookie Blend Flour~

 

2 cups fine-ground brown rice flour

2 cups fine-ground white rice flour

1-1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)

2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

 

Mix ingredients together. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until used.

 

The flour recipe comes from Mary Capone, contributing writer/chef for Living Without magazine.

 

Enjoy!

 



A New Year

2013. A new year. For some, a new start. For others, an opportunity to practice the fine art of correcting mistakes.

I don't know about you, but I fall into this category. Call it brain fog, old age, or denial that time's-a-flyin', but I'm not a lover of change. As with any new year, change does come. It must or we fail to grow.

Over the last few months, my blog is one thing that hasn't really grown. Not because there aren't people reading it, but because I haven't had the energy, time, or inspiration to put into it. I contemplated closing this blog and devoting my down time to napping and watching old Malcolm in the Middle reruns, but after a month of that, it got old. So, with this new year, I won't be focusing on resolutions that are made to be broken. I'll be focusing on goals. On growth.

And on getting myself off of the couch.

The pity party is over. No more woe is me attitude. Life is what it is. You learn to adjust and adapt. You grow and hopefully inspire others by just living life in all its glory...to the fullest.

Here are some 2012 2013 goals I have:

For the farm

1. Downsize our farm. *Gasp!* (Did I just say that out loud?) We have too many free-loaders that are costing us big bucks in the feed department. At least half of the chickens and all but 4 of the turkeys will be heading to freezer camp, as will our 14 year old arthritic cow, Bailey.

2. Butcher the hogs. Those once cute little piglets have turned into 170-266 lbs. of ravenous, dirt-plowin', eating machines. And quite honestly, they scare me. Especially Porky, who is our largest and most aggressive eater.

3. Repair/replace water lines at the barn. The pigs decided to turn their once dry pen into a spa-like environment by rooting up the water lines which caused their home to flood. Of course, they did this while the Mister was in the middle of his work week. For now, our water comes from a waterfall behind the barn and is hauled with buckets. Can't really get more homesteady than that.

4. Start our tomato seeds by the end of January. This is a goal I make every year, and every year I forget to order the seeds in time. Not this year. This will be the year of tomatoes. Which reminds me that I need to place my seed order in the mailbox...

5. Help the Mister build a hoop house. By help, I really mean nag-until-it-gets-done. Because really, I am not a very good hoop house builder.

My pathetic attempt is still sort of standing. In a leaning-to-the-East kind of way.

For the home/kitchen

1. Repurpose. This is a big one because I have a lot of ugly old junk. Dressers, tables, even old lamp bases are going to get an overhaul. I plan on getting to know the paint people at Lowe's very well.

2. Spend more time in the kitchen. Yes, I'm weird that way. Fact is, I love my kitchen. I love my pots & pans. And I especially love to get creative. Expect lots of new recipes this year. And thanks to my children, better pictures with the new camera they bought me for Christmas.

3. Organize. In the next month or so, the last of our adult married children will be moving into their new home. While it has been so fun having the rooms full again, I have realized just how unorganized I really am. The first project on the list: Get rid of all the homeschooling supplies I no longer need so I can repurpose some of those bookshelves into a functional pieces of furniture.

4. Learn to make hard cheeses. Is it just me, or do cheese presses look like something from Medieval times? And how come every single cheddar recipe out there is different than the one before? Is it because there's lots of room for error or because no one wants to admit that their cheese-making adventure was an epic fail? Oi.

For our homeschool

1. Update transcripts. I have an entire year of grades still on paper. Since we have a senior this year, I need to get on this pronto.

2. Plan ahead. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-and-hope-you-land-on-something-soft kind of gal. Some would call it "unschooling," I just call it procrastination. We will still have a more laid back school year, but I need to be better prepared for all of the "what's next" questions.

3. Graduate Mandie. Even if I'm not emotionally ready to do so.

For me

1. Be quick to forgive. It's getting easier with age, since I don't really remember most of the day anyway, but I want to be a purposeful forgiver. Life's too short to waste being angry or hurt by words said in the moment. Let it go.

2. Continue to heal. Right now I am reading the book, "Autoimmune, The Cause and the Cure." (Review to come.) I'm lacto-fermenting veggies, drinking raw milk kefir, kombucha, and avoiding all foods that cause an inflammatory response. I'm walking more, listening when my body says to rest, and letting go of the things that I cannot change. Like my height. And how fast my leg hair grows.

3. Be patient. Because all good things come to those who wait. Just as I waited 44 years for a milk cow, I can wait for those moments when my patience is rewarded.

4. Listen more. Let my actions speak for themselves. And dear Lord, let my actions speak only good things. And my temper tantrums be behind my closed bathroom door.

5. Enjoy every single moment. Every breath. Every joy. Every tear. Even the tears that come from sorrow. Because in our sorrow, there is life. It means that we are feeling. That we are living. And that we are loving.

Happy New Year, from my home to yours!

2013~Bring it on!

The Collector

I am a collector.

I wish I could say that I was a collector of vintage jewelry, fine wines, or antique gadgets, but alas, it is not that glamorous.

I am a collector of auto-immune diseases.

I am now up to three.

If I were looking at the glass as half-full, I would say, "Well self, you have a good eye for collecting." (Only 1 good eye though. The other has a scar across the pupil. Kind of worthless. Except it balances my face out.)

Right now my half-full glass is lying on the kitchen floor, not shattered, but slightly chipped. I'm down, but not out.

Okay, a little out. The latest disease process requires a low-dose chemotherapy treatment. (I do NOT have cancer. Promise.)

Which makes me a little sick and tired.

The four pages that came with my "therapy" pills left my mind reeling with all of the warnings. All of which followed the first.

This product could cause death.

Anything that isn't death would fall into the glass is half-full category. At least for me.

I'm not looking for sympathy, I just felt the need to share why I've been a little absent from blog-land. Life is always busy, but now when I have a moment to relax, I do it behind closed eyelids. And with the Christmas season upon us, closing my eyes may be a luxury that will have to wait until the New Year.

Except by then, I plan on being completely healed.

Half-full, baby.